VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 1 85 



provinces. Pao P'o-tzu says that the plant moves even when 

 the air is still; while T'ao Hung-ching goes one better, and 

 says that it is not moved by the wind, and moves only in still 

 air ! The central root is large, and it is said to always have 

 twelve smaller tubers of the size of a hen's egg on the side. 

 These tubers are much used for food, both raw and steamed. 

 The best sort comes from Shantung. It is worthy of note that 

 an Australian species of this plant, Gastrodia sesamoides^ has 

 a root which is full of starch, and which is used as food by 

 the natives. The tubers, dried and shrivelled, are found in 

 the Chinese medicine shops. They are in the form of flat, 

 yellowish-brown pieces, irregularly oblong, and measuring from 

 two to two and a half inches long by one inch and a half 

 broad. This drug is considered to have very beneficial prop- 

 erties, expelling all kinds of poisonous effluvia, giving strength 

 and virility to the body, improving the circulation, and strength- 

 ening the memory. It is prescribed in rheumatism, neural- 

 gia, paralysis, lumbago, headaches, and other neuralgic and 

 nervous affections. The stalk of the plant, which is called 

 ^ M "? (Huan-t'ung-tzu), is also considered to be tonic and 

 aphrodisiac. The plant also produces a fruit, which becomes 

 yellow and ripe as the leaves begin to shrivel up and fall ofif. 

 It contains seeds, the kernels of which are starchy. 



GELSEMIUM ELEGANS. — fi^i |^ (Kou-wen). This 

 identification is not quite certain. Faber uses this same Chi- 

 nese name also for Rhus toxicodendron. But in an article on 

 Chinese Drugs, published in the China Review (Vol. XV, page 

 214), it is proved that the plant Kott-wen of the Pentsao is 

 Gelseniiu7?i elegans. It is known at Hongkong under the 

 names of ^ ^ 5g (Hu-wan-ch'iang), %%%. (Tuan-ch'ang- 

 ts'ao), and ;/c ^ ^ ^ (Ta-ch'a-yeh-t'eng), the two former of 

 which are names found in the Pentsao 2iS synonyms oi Kou-w^n. 

 In Japan it is Rhus toxicodendron^ but K '^ ^ ^Al P^ (Huang- 

 tsing-yeh-kou-wen) is given as an equivalent term, and this is 

 also assigned to Croomia japonica. The extremely poisonous 

 character of this plant is well recognized by the Chinese, and 

 one of the names given to it is ^ j^^ (Tu-ken), "poison root." 

 Li Shih-cheu says : "When people happen by mistake to eat 



